My Art Book and random short stories

🦎Broken Mirrors🪞-Encanto

Something different today, and I hope you guys enjoy it

It had been a hard day for the Madrigals. Pepa had accidentally created a hurricane which wiped out a small portion of the town, and per Abuela's orders, the family had to help.

And they did. It was their job in the village; to serve the people and help them.

So, the Madrigals used their gifts to help restore the destroyed part of town. It had taken them all day, but they managed.

By the end of it, everyone was tired and exhausted. And one Madrigal in particular wasn't taking it too well.

Camilo had been in an off mood already that morning, and only now coming home wasn't helping. He was tired from shapeshifting, and just needed to lie down.

Julieta was preparing dinner, and soon called everyone over. The whole family sat down for the meal, but a looming dullness lingered above them.

Camilo just sat and stared at his food. He was hungry, but had no appetite. So, he decided to leave it.

The boy stood up, and took his full plate to the kitchen. "Camilo? Are you okay?" His mama asked, worried. "I...I'm fine, mami. Just tired." He told her, looking back with a small smile.

Pepa sighed, and returned the smile. "Alright, Mijo. If you need anything, come and find us." She told him as he nodded and turned to the stairs.

Camilo shuffled to his room, and walked inside while closing the door behind him.

He huffed sharply as he walked to his bed and sat down, quickly resting his head in his hands.

He tried to take deep breaths, but the quietness of his room only made way for his mind to wonder...to...less than pleasant places.

He tried not to think about them, but it was difficult. "Come on, Camilo. You're fine...just..." He tried calming down, but still, it wasn't doing much.

So he stood up, and silently walked to the bathroom without drawing his family's attention at the diner table.

He wandered straight to the sink, not taking a second to look at his reflection. He ran the tap, and cupped his hands to allow the cold water to fill them. He quickly splashed the water in his face, and it seemed to help.

Camilo repeated the action a couple more times before catching his breath and finally calming down. He looked up at his reflection in the mirror, and faintly gasped.

He wasn't himself.

The boy quickly looked to his hands...and they were still his own. He looked back at the mirror, and it had changed to yet another person.

"N-no..." He muttered under his breath before waking back to his room, still not drawing the attention of his family.

When he entered again, he started pacing and tugging at his hair lightly, trying to erase what he'd seen. "It wasn't real...it wasn't real...it was just in your head..." He told himself as he slowly approached one of the many mirrors in his room, hoping he'd see himself again.

But unfortunately, his reflection wasn't his, and instead resembled his Abuelas.

He shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows as he turned to another, but he still couldn't see himself. This time he looked like his prima Mirabel.

"No...no..."

He turned to another, and he still couldn't see himself.

And another...

And another...

And another...and still...no Camilo in sight.

He began to get frustrated and upset again, and tried anything to push those feelings away. But the more he looked into his mirrors, the worse it made him.